The present invention relates to leading electrodes out of an integrated type of information recording medium comprising a stack of a photoelectric sensor and a liquid crystal recording medium, wherein the orientation of the liquid crystal recording medium is altered to record images, and a packaging case for an integrated type of information recording medium.
Among known liquid crystal recording media wherein a liquid crystal recording medium having a composite liquid crystal/polymer layer stacked on an electrode is integrally stacked on a photoelectric sensor provided with a photoconductive layer on an electrode layer, there is a type of recording medium designed to record images by exposure at an applied voltage.
Such an integrated type of information recording medium is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B where reference numerals 10 and 20 represent a photoelectric sensor and a liquid crystal recording medium, respectively. The photoelectric sensor 10 includes a transparent electrode 12 and a photoconductive layer 13 stacked on a transparent support 11 in the described order, and the liquid crystal recording medium 20 includes a composite liquid crystal/polymer layer 23 stacked on a transparent electrode 22. For the photoconductive layer 13 use may be made of a single-structure layer such as an inorganic photoconductive layer, e.g., an amorphous selenium or silicon layer, or an organic photoconductive layer, e.g., a layer of polyvinyl carbazole and trinitrofluorenone added thereto. Use may also be made of a composite structure comprising a stack of a charge generation layer obtained by dispersing an azo type dye in resin such as polyvinyl butyral and a charge transport layer obtained by mixing a hydrazone derivative with resin such as polycarbonate. The integrated type of information recording medium is broken down into a direct stacked type wherein a liquid crystal recording medium is stacked directly on a photoelectric sensor as shown in FIG. 1A, a transmission type wherein a transparent dielectric material is used as an intermediate layer 24 as shown in FIG. 1B, and a reflection type wherein a dielectric mirror is used as the intermediate layer.
Upon such an integrated type of information recording medium irradiated with visible light acting as writing light while voltage is applied between the electrodes 12 and 22 via a power source 130, as shown in FIG. 2, the conductivity of the photoconductive layer 13 varies depending on the intensity of light, and the state of orientation of liquid crystal varies due to a change in the electric field applied on the composite liquid crystal/polymer layer 23. This state is maintained intact even upon removal of the electric field by putting the applied voltage off, so that imagewise information can be recorded.
Here, the liquid crystal recording medium and the photoelectric sensor are about 6 .mu.m and about 10 .mu.m in thickness, respectively, and so the integrated type of information recording medium has a very small total thickness less than 20 .mu.m. Care must thus be taken of handling such a very thin medium; even slight impact often causes a glass failure or touching the medium directly with the hand has an adverse influence on image quality. Thus, electrodes have so far been led out of a very thin liquid crystal recording medium by pushing an elastic material against electrode contacts, for instance. However, much difficulty is involved in leading electrodes out of a thin and minute medium in an assured yet simple manner; for instance, such a medium cannot be used on a camera to pick up images readily. In addition, the number and structure of parts needed for leading electrodes become large and complicated, respectively, thus offering a problem in connection with mass production.
These problems may possibly be solved by handling an information recording medium while it is encased. In this case, however, it is desired to use a packaging case in which an information recording medium can be readily put and held without any misalignment, and which is structurally simple-enough for mass production.
One object of the present invention is to enable electrodes to be led out of an integrated type of information recording medium in an assured yet simple manner.
Another object of the present invention is to enable electrodes to be led out of an integrated type of information recording medium in an assured yet simple manner while protection is given thereto.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging case for an integrated type of information recording medium, which can be mass produced.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to achieve easy encasing of an information recording medium without any misalignment, and ensure that electrodes are led out of the information recording medium.